DAVIS —
Sunday, Stevie Wonder performed on the UC Davis campus as part of a celebration of life for Sugar Bowl Ski instructor Carson May. Hundreds of friends and family gathered to remember May, who was killed in an avalanche at the Sugar Bowl resort in January.
“(Before his funeral, I was thinking of ) how to help Carson transition (into heaven), and what I heard was, ‘Mom I’ve got this.’ He didn’t say it, but I sensed very strongly, don’t micro-manage,” May’s mother told the crowd Sunday, who gathered at Putah Creek Lodge on UC Davis’ campus.
“We both got a house together on Donner Lake and it was the best time I think I ever spent with him,” said Carson’s brother, Wyndham May.
“It’s tough for all of us, we keep finding our separate ways and also ways together to remember Carson to laugh, and talk about him,” said Mike May, Carson’s father, who said his son wouldn’t have wanted all this attention. “But he’s not here to put a check on the matter, so we’re going to celebrate, we’re doing our best to do that through music, through emotion and through the community gathering together.”
Among those who honored Carson was a friend of his dad’s, Stevie Wonder. The two became friends working together in May’s Sendero Group, which employs individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Wonder told FOX40 he remembers meeting Carson and admiring his passion.
“He loved skiing, he loved doing things, he was challenged, so he unfortunately passed away. But he passed away into eternal bliss doing something he loved,” Wonder said.
One of May’s favorite bands, Elephant Revival, also performed for the crowd as part of the celebration.
But Mike May said his son’s death has brought him to action, and he’s now started a cause to ensure others in Carson’s situation won’t suffer the same fate.
“As of this week ,we have formed Carson Technologies, to work on early search and rescue technology and more… That will help us get off the ground and do some of these things, because the real goal is save another life,” May told FOX40.
The May family is still fund-raising for that company through their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/carsonmaymemorial
